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Wisdom, distilled. The Internet loves to write think pieces about how we’ve lost our attention spans. Where did they go? Social media is one obvious culprit. I personally like to pick on TikTok for reasons such as : 5 TikTok Challenges That Left Thousands Injured and Over 100 Dead. In general, I’m pretty anti short-form video and the fact that information is becoming more and more condensed into visually-stimulating, “aesthetically-pleasing” 30-second sound bytes. Give me words. Give me chapters. Give me delicious sentences to underline and real paper pages to dog-ear. And give it to me even when I’m short on time. Because, yes, me too, I sometimes feel like life is a vat of quicksand mercilessly pulling me in. It’s part of why I’m trying to live a more analog life—one where I spend time away from social media and make my downtime less consumption-based and more pleasure-based. Naturally, books are a big part of that. Even when I feel like I have no time. If you’re short on time this week but still want to enrich your precious downtime instead of losing it to a doomscrolling spiral, try this: 9 good books you can read in a day. Start with one, and then let the good vibes roll. THE SHORTLIST: 9 short books to read in a day2 Classic books to read in a day… One from a French author and one from a Polish author 2 Fiction books to read in one day… One inspired by family and one romance novel 2 Non-fiction books you can read in one sitting… One book about health and one about philosophy 3 Memoirs under 200 pages… One from an Old Hollywood starlet; one from a NYT bestseller; and one from a poet Or if reading by mood is more your thing...
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A space to learn how to enjoy your own company and make life less scary and more exciting.
There are many benefits of solitude, but you have to give yourself the chance to sit there. It’s the tale as old as time: “I’m afraid I will die alone.” While such a worry often comes to us in more dire moments, like when a relationship dissolves or family ties begin to come undone, the fear of being alone also creeps its way into our everyday activities: going to a wedding alone; traveling alone; living alone; even celebrating Valentine’s Day alone. When we compare our inner circle to that...
When you’re confident and comfortable in your own company, it becomes easier to talk to strangers, reach out first, and make plans repeatedly. That’s what builds friendship, whether you’re moving to a new city or just facing a social dry spell. We are suffering from a loneliness epidemic. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you. Depending on whom you talk to, some might even tell you we’re suffering from a male loneliness epidemic, specifically. Whether we let men claim loneliness as their own...
Consider these quotes a chance to rub shoulders with unmet kindred spirits. It’s really impossible to avoid. No matter how many friends we have, how cherished we feel by our family, or the current state of our romantic entanglements, at the end of the day, we are all on our own. Being alone is something we can’t escape, though many people try. In moments of quiet, they rush to the screen to fill the void, staring at Reels that don’t interest them but are simply there. Or they swipe through...